First day of work

I felt as excited as a five year old starting school this morning as I skipped up Fifth Avenue on foot to my first day on the new job at the Gates Foundation.  The sun must have been curious about what I'm doing as it seems to have followed me here all the way from San Diego.

Formal orientation occupied most of the day, starting with a tour of the Visitor Center at the Foundation which tells the story of how it all began fifteen years ago in 2000 and explanation of the issues - global health, global development and US education - that the Foundation seeks to tackle through its values of Optimism, Collaboration, Rigor and Innovation. Art works from around the world are sprinkled throughout the campus to remind us of the people we serve.

As one might expect the business technologies at the Foundation are state-of-the-art with telephone, video and instant meeting capabilities through my laptop via Microsoft Lync and printers that produce whatever you have sent to the queue when you swipe your security badge at the printer you happen to be standing next to at the time.  In fact the whole city of Seattle seems to have embraced 21st century technology with high tech companies like Amazon moving in and hiring Millennials in droves, with keyless entry systems on the apartment building and, it seems, an app for every kind of transportation whether it's to tell you when the next bus is coming, or hail an Uber, or to rent a Zipcar.

Arrived in Seattle

From my window seat on the flight from San Diego today I enjoyed breathtaking views of snow-tipped Mount Shasta in northern California and then Crater Lake in southern Oregon. Blue skies peeked through the clouds here and there as I arrived in Seattle, revealing a glimpse of Mount Rainier's petticoats.  Who knew there were so many volcanic peaks in this part of the world?
Tomorrow I start my new job at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will be spending the next three months in Seattle getting oriented.  I am staying in an apartment on 6th Avenue and John Street, just a stone's throw from the iconic Space Needle in whose shadow the Foundation has built its new campus.
I had time to explore my new neighborhood this afternoon; there's a post office and ATM for my bank, Wells Fargo close by as well as a Ralph's and Whole foods for grocery shopping a few blocks farther on foot.  Several promising eateries - a pie and pasty shop, and a pizza restaurant that serve local craft beers, a 'dive bar and diner' on 5th Avenue, a Thai food restaurant and a coffee shop. I also have a well-equipped kitchen in my apartment so I won't starve!